Schaffhauser., D. (2010, December 01). http://thejournal.com/articles/2010/12/01/its-time-to-trust-teachers-with-the-internet-a-conversation-with-meg-ormiston.aspx?sc_lang=en.
This article is based on an interview with Meg Ormiston, once a curriculum coach, school board member, conference presenter, professional development specialist, grant facilitator, and currently an technology advocate within school settings.
Ormiston makes imperative points within her interview about accessing the Internet at school. Many schools have put up filters and blocks on the Internet, enabling teachers to teach technology to their full potential. The issue here is not black and white; there needs to be room for mobility.
In addition to allowing the teachers access, she states that "we have to remember to teach responsible computing" to the students and "help students make good choices with networking resources and sites." It is true that our current times are changing and becoming more technology based. In turn, it is the responsibilities of the educators to incorporate responsibility and accountability and be a "filter" while using the Web. Yet, it is often found that the administrators and the IT departments enable such lessons because of the locks they have placed on the Internet.
What did you learn about the use of "social networks" within the classroom setting? Do you agree, that as a whole, they should be banned?
I found the information about the banning of "social networks" in the learning environment very interesting. Before I read this article I would have assumed banning such networks and website to be beneficial, because I was unaware of the dynamic us of them. When I think of social networking I immediately think of Facebook, MySpace, and so on. But I did not consider Flickr, Voice Threadm, or Blogster, which can positively be used within an educational setting. Yet, because they fall under the umbrella of "social networks" they too, are banned. In turn, we are blocking a lot of creative, innovative learning. This I do not agree with.
It is said that many students know how to "work-around" the filters put up at school. If the students can still access the sites, are they being negatively effected by the rules?
Absolutely! Even though many of the students are able to interact and navigate into the blocked sites, the process of doing so sends a clear message to the students: "you are doing something wrong." When in fact, if the teachers were encouraged and allowed to use the sites for educational purposes, our students would be able to see the positive outcomes of these sites.
In addition to failing students, by blocking innovative and creative sites, blocking such networks fail the educators. It makes the educator more likely to give up on technology. The educator becomes less technologically equip and discouraged, which will negatively affect his/her students.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Journal 2: "Join the Flock!" & "Enhance Your Twitter Experience" (NETS - III, VI, V)
Ferguson, H. & McClintock Miller, Shannon. (2010, June/July). Join the flock!. Enhance your twitter experience. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(8), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/issues/Join_the_Flock.aspx
Ferguson and McClintock Miller Ferguson
Set up your account: Who are you and why are you on twitter
Learn to follow: Choose people you want to learn from; what are your interests?
Tap into great lists: “A good way to find people to follow is to check out the lists that other people create.”
Watch and Listen: You may silently interact within your community until you are ready to participate. Watch, listen, and learn; when you are ready… participate!
Give generously: Once you are ready to delve in, start re-tweeting. The more you re-tweet the larger you PLN community will become
Expose yourself: begin with simple, positive tweets, and then begin to share you ideas, links, and tools
Tag your tweet: add a hashtag (# symbol) so more people can follow your tweets
Use your twitter organizer: the organizers available help you organize your tweets into columns
Manage with a bookmarlet: to share resources by bookmarking it into hootsuite and sending out a tweet
Be strategic: make a plan of action when using twitter... how you are you going to allocate you time?
What will you search for in Twitter to help you as a professional? Why is this important?
After reading these two articles I became excited to develop my twitter PNL. In order to create my PNL I must begin by: Setting up myaccount,learn how to follow, choose people you want to learn from, and tap into great lists. I am very thankful for my Educ 422 Professor at Cal State San Marocs because I will definitey begin by using his tweets and PNL in order to begin to learn, tap into great lists, and follow. This one step will allow me to tap into other peolple with my same interests and their PNL. This will open my Twitter doors!
I will search tweets such as: elementary education, multicultural education, kindergarten lessons on _______, classroom managment, and so on.
Why is bookmarking in Twitter useful?
Bookmarking in twitter can become useful because it has a similar conceept as "favorites" or "Diigo," for instance, but it takes catologying information one step futher. Bookmarking on twitter, then allows you to save the bookmark and tweet about it to you PNL. It helps and supports your PNL.
Why is bookmarking in Twitter useful?
Bookmarking in twitter can become useful because it has a similar conceept as "favorites" or "Diigo," for instance, but it takes catologying information one step futher. Bookmarking on twitter, then allows you to save the bookmark and tweet about it to you PNL. It helps and supports your PNL.
Journal 1: "Do Web 2.0 Right" (NETS I,III, VI)
Summary: Thank goodness for Daniel Light and Deborah Polin, educators who have already explored the Web 2.0 road and drew a straight path to success. In the article "Do Web 2.0 Right," Light begins this road with three basic elements used to create successful web based learning environment. He states that educators must: institute daily practice, carefully consider the audience, and teach and enforce appropriate behavior. It has been found that the most successful web based curriculums use tools to create continuous, sustained, and meaningful conversations and communities between each students and teacher. He concludes the on-line based activities and supported lessons will indeed be positive in the students' learning career, but reminds us that it is just as imperative to engage in the student's work, and not have it "end in themselves."
How can you make web 2.0 activities a daily activity within your classroom?
As a future educator I can use web 2.0 based activities within my classroom by using them to support my curriculums. They can be used as a communicative space between the teacher and students, or students and students, through the compilation of private journals, generate and support discussions, and a place to share ideas. In addition to communicative support, it can serve as a creative tool. Stories, pictures, and research can also be added to web based activities.
What is your position about web 2.0 based activities replacing face to face debates and/ or feedback?
I am concerned about the replacement of face-to-face debates and discussions with the growing use of blogs. Light shares students' testimonies where they feel "that the blog(s) allows them to participate even if they are too shy to speak in class" and by “making students go public de-motivated those who were sensitive to peer pressure." I see and appreciate the fact that blogs and online debates allow for all student voices to be heard, but I worry that our educators are not emphasizing the importance of and the tools to promote self confidence and public speaking. Will our future generations hide behind a computer screen when faced with controversial topics? Therefore, we must find a balance between online Web 2.0 based curriculum and face-to-face curriculum in order to create well rounded, critical thinkers.
Journal # 3: 100 things that make me happy...
1) Spending time with my husband
2) Being married
3) Being in the ocean
4) Surfing with my dad
5) Swimming from the pavilion to the Hanalei Pier
6) Walking the Hanalei Bay
7) Hiking the Hanakapi’ai trail
8) Being in Kalalau Valley
9) Living on Kaua’i
10) Having my mom as my best girl-friend
11) Camping
12) Swimming in fresh water streams
13) Getting my hands dirty from gardening
14) Having dirt under my fingernails after a good gardening session
15) Yoga
16) Being able to run for 30 minutes
17) Hearing the wind in the trees
18) Being in nature
19) Being in nature, alone and just listening to the sounds
20) Laughing
21) Speaking Portuguese with my husband
22) Going Forró dancing in Brasil
23) Traveling
24) Packing my suitcase when I know I am about to go on an adventure
25) Adventures
26) Waterfalls
27) Spending time with my mom and dad
28) Listening to my husband laugh
29) Wearing yoga pants and sweatshirts
30) The SUN
31) Laying out
32) Being able to go to the beach everyday
33) Salvador
34) Learning new things
35) Ocean water on my skin
36) The feeling of being sun-kissed
37) Traveling with my husband
38) The color yellow
39) Dancing with my husband
40) Dancing with my friends
41) Dancing Polynesian dance
42) Real life lessons
43) When all my homework is done
44) Working with preschool age children
45) Working in the Teddy Bear room
46) Hearing a student tell me “you are the best teacher in the whole world!”
47) Working with clay on the wheel
48) Driving to northern California
49) Camping in Big Cur
50) Being able to wear a bathing suit
51) Buying new bathing suits
52) Shopping in Brasil
53) Watching something I planted grow
54) Eating organic food
55) Buying fair-trade food
56) Helping someone
57) How contagious a smile is
58) How contagious a laugh is
59) Cuddling with my husband
60) Watching my husband carefree childlike spirit
61) The possibility of having children
62) The prospect of becoming a teacher!
63) Being able to love what I do (for work)
64) Smoothies
65) COFFEE
66) Being warm
67) Having sandy feet
68) When my body hurts from being active
69) When my day was productive
70) The prospect of being a teacher and no longer the student (per-say)
71) When my arm muscles hurt from surfing
72) Being on our family farm in Brasil
73) Spending time in Pirenópolis, Goiás, Brasil – the town my husband was born in
74) Living near the beach
75) Memories from my childhood
76) Being around animals
77) Sleeping in
78) Knowing I can count on my family for support
79) Creative freedom
80) The freedom I receive from being from America
81) Knowing that I speak two languages
82) EATING
83) DESSERT
84) Love
85) Looking at photos
86) The possibility that my husband and I may move back to Kaua’i
87) The possibility that my husband and I may move to Brasil for a bit
88) “Free time”
89) Playing soccer
90) When a child giggles
91) Having family dinners
92) This year I will be walking the San Diego
93) Beach walks with my girl-friends
94) Playing backgammon with my husband
95) Learning new card games
96) Making new friends
97) Learning about different cultures
98) Music
99) Feeling happy
100) Being in love
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Technology Self Assessment
Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity (NETS-T #1)
"Top 10 Web 2.0 Tools for Young Learners" by: Chris Riedel
Chris Riedel wrote "Top 10 Web 2.0 Tools for Young Learners," an instructional article that simply presents Web 2.0 based tools that can be positively used within an educational setting. Personally, I found this article straight forward and encouraging; it aided in changing my perspective on bringing web-based equipment into the classroom. In fact, I chose to review and reflect on a resource derived from NETS-T #1, because, currently, I feel that I lack vision, knowledge, and tools to inspire students learning and imagination through web based material. However, through such simple, yet innovating support, these tools can certainly find positive avenues within the classroom setting!
"Top 10 Web 2.0 Tools for Young Learners" by: Chris Riedel
Chris’ information derived from Gail Lovely’s descriptions of the “top 10 web 2.0 tools for young learners.” Lovely states the importance for these powerful tools within the classroom, especially for “the most vulnerable populations because they are the ones who need it.” These vulnerable populations, for example, consist of the “young learners and non-reader.”
The list Lovely and Riedel present range from web based support that provides avenues to work analytically, creatively, individually, and communally. My favorite tools were Kerpoof, Create-a-Graph, Yack-Pack, and Wikis. I found that these tools specifically enabled creative and analytical thinking, placed value on the students’ voice, and created alternative ways to learn. I am honestly starting to understand the importance of technology within the classroom, for technology can be presented in many forms!
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